Book-rack



(ModeL) J. SWARTZ.

. BOOK RACK.

No. 298,039; Patented May 6,-.1884.' f I 475/ HO 6 Wmess' fmmtar N.PETERS. Pholo-Lhhoznphr. \Vllllhihn. DC-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOEL SWARTZ, OF GETTYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

Book- RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'Patent No, 298,039, dated May 6,1884.

Application filed January 24, 1882. (ModeL) To all whom, it mayconcern.-

Be it known that I, JOEL SWARTZ, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Gettysburg, in the county of Adams, in the State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBook-Backs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompa-- nying drawings,illustrating the same.

My invention relates to a portable device for use on a desk' or tableand the like in sup,- porting and retaining a book, pamphlet, or otherpublication inan open condition for use, to save manual fatigue andinconvenience in reading or consulting; and the invention consists in abook-rack composed of a base to receive the bottom edge of a book, anattached frame to support the back of the book, a selflocking hingedbrace for the frame,to hold the rack in position, and spring-fingers toabut against the book to hold it open and prevent its leaves or pagesfrom accidental turning, all substantially as hereinafter set forth andclaimed.

In the drawings hereinbefore referred to, in the several figures ofwhich like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 shows the rack infront elevation; Fig. '2, in side elevation; and

Fig. 3 1s aperspective new of my rack 1n use,

an open book being in position thereon.

In constructing-my rack I provide a base, 0, preferably of wood, fiat 9nits bottom side, and curved, hollowed out. or concaved at d on its upperside or face. lo the rear edge of this base is affixed arearwardly-inclined frame, A, preferably of wire, having two uprights orlegs, 6 6, provided with portions ee, by which latter the frame issecured to the base. The upper ends of the legs are provided with eyes 6e",connected by a cross-piece between them,

the whole frame' being most conveniently formed of a single .piece ofwire bent to shape and constituting the back of the rack.

The base and frame are held upright and the book thereon supportedagainst toppling over by a brace, b, hinged by loops 1) bv in the eyese, e of the frame, outside the legs of said,

frame, and adapted to be swung out between the legs, as in Fig. 2, -foruse, and to be laid up against the frame and base when not in use. Thisbrace is preferably V-shaped in outline, and the upper ends of its arms,which are the resilience of the arm will cause the crooks g h to bind onthe legs 6 e, and result in the looking or retention of the brace in itsextended position, thus rendering it self-locking, pre "enting theaccidental displacement of itself and the collapse or over-toppling ofthe rack. Pressure toward the base exerted upon the brace will restoreit to its position for disuse.

To the front edge of the base is secured by staples m 0 n a wire, a,which is bent verti cally at a a outside its staples m n, and then bentagain horizontally to form fingers a a which overlie the basetransversely, and which fingers preferably terminate in any suitablearmament, as eyes or loopsn ad. The wirea is drawn down into a curve byits center stathe resilience of which will tend to throw itsfingers'down upon the base, as in Figs. 1 and 2.

When abook is to be placed upon the rack, the fingers can be lifted toadmit it to the basecavity d; but they will tend to press toward thebook; hence when the book is opened to the page to be consulted, and atwhich place it is desired to retain the book open, the fingers arereleased, and their armored ends, coming in contact with the book,willforcibly retain it open, the eyes, knobs, or loops at a on said fingerspreventing the said fingers a a" from defacing the book.

\Vhen the rack is to be used solely as a rest for a'reader who will haveto turn the leaves of his book often. the fingersmay be turned down infront the base, and thus become inoperative for the time being. I

This rack will also be found convenient for holding copy,reference-books, and other matter requiring frequent consultation. Theangular bends a a, in the spring fingers prevent the disturbance of thestability of the rack under the operations of such fingers, it beingunderstood that the stapled portion of the wire a forms a curved axis orshaft, with which pie, 0, wherebyit is converted into a spring,

the back, and having end crooks, g h, loosely hinged to the back byloops 1) b engaging eyes outside the legs of said back, whereby it isadapted to be sprung in between the legs of the back to lock it (thesaid bra ce) in position for use in sustaining the rack, substantiallyas described.

2. The combination, with the base, of the back provided with eyesprojecting outside its legs, and the brace hinged in said eyes swungbetween the legs of the back, and provided with the bends or crooks g hbelow the hinging-points, whereby it is adapted to be sprung in betweenthe uprights of said back when swung back from said eyes, to therebylockitself in position, substantially as described.

3. A book-rack composed of a supportingbase, a back having eyes outsideof its legs, a brace hinged between said legs to said back by loops 1) bengaging its eyes, and having crooked or bent ends, substantially asdescribed, so as to be sprung through the uprights thereof, and therebybe self-locking and adjustable, and spring-fingers made in one piece andmoving with a curved shaft, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a book-rack having a support for the back and lower edge of abook, the wire a,secured to the support in a curved line, substantiallyas set forth, by staples m o n, to convert it into a spring, and havingits ends bent to project over such support for holding the book in placethereon, all as and for the purpose described.

5. The wire a, curved as shown, and having the bends a a and fingers aa, combined with a book-support, and means to secure the wire in itscurved form thereto, whereby the fingers I of said wire are retained inposition to hold an open or other book in place upon the support, andalso retained in a reverse position to free the book, substantially asset forth.

JOEL SWARTZ. Vitnesses:

UHAs. K. SWARTZ, T. A. BENNER.

